Reading Recommendation #5 : Coping with Manipulation by Dr. Windy Dryden

Dr. Windy Dryden's phenomenal work in the area of self-help, which corresponds with his emphasis on taking self-responsibility has led to his immense popularity among readers of all ages and from all walks of life. This brilliance of his is reinstated with his book, 'Coping with Manipulation' which delves deep into the concept of 'Emotional Responsibility' in his typical style of presenting ideas for intervention is a manner that are insightful and yet replete with direct and heuristic practical suggestions for the common reader. 

A Book for Anyone seeking to Take Charge of their Life

A development of emotional responsibility is more compelling in today's age than ever before for we are living in a world in which people are constantly seeking to fulfill the emotional void generated in themselves due to their complete absorption in worldly affairs by projecting their incapacitation in taking self-responsibility onto others. To prevent ourselves from imitating their tendency and ending up as puppets in their hands, as is aptly indicated in the front cover of the book, we need to imbibe a spirit of emotional responsibility in ourselves - its high time that we take charge of our emotions and consequently, the quality of our lives.

Here are a few reasons why I urge you to read this book:

• Dr. Dryden has presented his ideas through a series of real-life examples of people caught in attempts at emotional manipulation in different types of relationships. One or more of these examples is bound to reflect your experiences and so reading this book will make you feel that it has been designed to address your personal concern. It is also very amenable to application in this sense for Dr. Dryden has proposed exactly how people caught in these different scenarios can develop a sense of emotional responsibility. So, when you design your plan of action to take charge of your emotions, you will have a definitive guide in front of you.

• The book is written very simply - it is precise, interesting and easy to comprehend. It does not require that the reader have an understanding of psychology. In keeping with the REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy) style of focus and applicability, this book is an easy guide for people seeking to resolve issues in their relationships  and not a book propagating a theory.

• The book includes two appendices that serve as primers for the REBT approach. Dr. Dryden has given a quick guide to REBT principles that explain where his insights and suggestions are coming from. Familiarizing oneself with these principles is bound to increase the curiosity of the reader and encourage him to explore the therapy further which has abundant self-help literature including Dr. Dryden's books on varied topics such as assertiveness, procrastination, guilt, happiness, anxiety, depression, etc.

In conclusion, we need no explanation to believe that in the unpredictable times of the day, we need to harness our mental strength to live a productive life. We would be a doing a great disservice to ourselves if we do not choose to read books like these which make our lives easier by taking just a little bit of our time.